Does Low Fuel Affect Engine Life And Quality?

Modern cars built in the last 20 years have fuel systems that are all similar: They have electric fuel pumps in the fuel tanks and the fuel tanks are plastic.

Driving with low fuel levels will have no effect on engine life at all. Zero. And since the fuel tank is made of plastic it will not rust. And since the fuel pump recirculates and filters the fuel there really will be little build up of anything.

When the fuel runs too low the fuel pump will suck air, no fuel will reach the engine and it will stop. The engine control system will try to the very last drop to keep the fuel mixture perfect. But when the gas is gone, you go no more. There will be no misfiring or anything else.

But while there will be no damage to the engine there will be damage to the electric fuel pump. These fuel pumps are actually cooled and lubricated by the fuel and without it they will wear out in only a few minutes.

So to answer your question: No, your engine will not be hurt. But your fuel pump will be.

2 things happen with low fuel. ( 1 ) Because the fuel tank is close to empty all the time condensation or moisture can build up and rust inside the tank, that's why it's always good to have a full tank because there's no room for moisture to build. What does that mean? Well it's just a form of wearing out things, and thus worth mentioning.. And ( 2 ) If you run low on fuel and take chances of the vehicle running out of gas while driving... When the car runs out of gas you risk the danger of the "Blurping" as it stalls and this "misfiring" so to speak on what is going on in the combustion chamber for those 3 or 4 seconds... When that stumbling exhaust pressure exits the combustion chamber out the exhaust manifold IT DESTROYS the fragile makeup of the catalytic convertor which crumbles under backfire pressure like this and then you will have to replace the catalytic convertor and those things can cost a lot of money. Once the convertor breaks apart, it caves in on itself and chokes the exhaust from being able to exit and there would be a huge notice or strain on the engine and eventually no way the engine will run.